Signal system for vehicles



Sept. 1,1925. 1,552,380

C. F. BALLARD SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 27, 1923 -sSheets-Sheet 1 Ki. J/VW ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1925. 1,552,380

c. F. BALLARD SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 27, 1923 sSheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1925] C. F. BALLARDSIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed 27. 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 QFBQZZQ?ATTORN EY WITNESSIJ.

Sept. 1, 1925. 1,552,380

C. F. BALLARD SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed A g- 27, 1923 6Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR VVITNESSEs AITORNEY Sept. 1, 1925.

C. F. BALLARD SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES I Filed Aug. 27. 1925 6Sheets-Sheet 5 6. F'ffiallara? lll' I I. w m Jill ATTORNEY Sept. V1,1925. 1,552,380

. C. F. BALLAFQD SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES File 27, v.1921! 6Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 1925.-

umreo STATES,

1,552,380 PATENT OFFICE.

comma r'. BALLABZD, or cna'rranooea, rnnnnssnn.

srenar; srs'rmcronfvmcras.

Application filed Augultfif, 1923. .Serial No. 659376.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, CONNIE F. BALLA D, a citizen of the Uni-ted States,residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State ofTennessee, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Signal Systemsfor Vehicles, of which the following is a speci-' isthe provision of asignal-system in which the turn signal is given at both the front andrear of the vehicle so that upon approach-- ing a street intersectionthe traffic oflicer may be apprised otthe drivers desire to turn, thesignal at the back being of course for the guidance of the drivers of'following cars.

Still signal system provided with means whereby a stop signalwill beautomatically given when the clutch is thrown out. or the brake appliedpreparatory to stopping.

Still another object is' the provision of a backup signal which isintended for use when backing to leave a parking place or.

when backing up at thedireotion of a traffic officer or under any otherconditions,

the advantage being that the driver of the immediately following car maybe warned and have the opportunity to back his car out of the way.

Yet another object is the provision of a control switch mechanismdesigned to be mounted u on the steering post of the car and embo ying aplurality of separately operable switches for controlling the circuitsto the various signals, most of the switches being in series with a keycontrolled master switch which acts as a lock vfor rendering thelighting system inoperative so as to prevent tampering therewith byunauthorized ersons.

An additional object is the provision of a signal device including apeculiarly constructed lamp box divided into a plurality series of holesarranged as a another object is the provision of a of compartments overwhich are transparent legend bearing panes illuminated by enervgizationof the bulbs within thegcompart ments, the casing furthermorecarrying a centrally located bulb constituting a tail light mounted inadvance of a reflector which has its edges spaced from the front of thelamp box whereby to emit light through a order. around the entiredevice, the illumination of this border making the signal still moreconspicuous and constituting an indication as to the make of the system.

With the above and other objects and advantages inview the inventionconsists in the details of constructionto be-hereinafter more fullydescribed and'claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,- inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an 'automobile showing the front signalmembers.

thereon, a

Figure 2 is a vertical section throughvone of the front signal members,v Fi re 3 is a rear elevation of the automobi e showing the rear signalmember and the tail lamp, I Figure 4 is a vertical section through theFigure 5 is a horizontal section therethrough, A 1 4 Figure 6 is avertical section through the floor of the car Showingthe stop signaloperating switch,

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view-through the stop signal switch,Figure 8 is a side elevation of the steerin column showing devicecarried thereby,

Figure 9 is an enlarged face view of. the general-control switch, 4 aFigure 10 is a view of this switch mechanism withthe back'plate thereofremoved and showing the interior, i

Figure 11 is a section therethrough, Figure 12 is a diagram of thecomplete electric circuit for all the devices,

The remaining figures are detail views. Referring more particularly tothe drawgs theletter A designates an automobile uipped with the usualheadlam s B and course provided with the usua steerin column C, fendersD and brake contro edal E. G represents the storage battery. indicatesthe parking lamp which 1s mounted upon the left rear fender or upon theassembled switch any other desired location at the left slde of thevehicle. 1

In car ing out my invention I provide a pair of amp boxes 15 and 1 6suitably mounted at the front of the vehicle by any preferred brackets17 which mlght be hung from the rod J which usually extends across thefront of the radiator for holding l1- cense plates, though of course itshould be understood that these bracketsmight be mounted at any otherdesired location. Each of these lamp boxes comprises a casing 18 withinwhich is mounted a reflector 19 at the center of which is a socket 20for containing bulbs 21 and 22, the bulb 21' beingvin the lamp box 15and the-bulb 22 bein in the lamp box 16. The box 15 has its ront coveredby a plate 23 having a cut out arrow 24 therein covered with greentransparent material indicated at 25, while the box 16 has its frontnormally closed by a plate 26 having a cut out arrow 27 covered withgreen glass or other material 28.

The arrow 24 points to the right while the arrow 27 points to the left.Around the marginal portion of the plates 26 and 23 I provide series ofholes 29 which w1ll display white lights when the bulbs are energized.

At the rear of the vehicle I provlde a lamp box structure including acasing 30 equipped with a suitable bracket 31 by means of which it maybe-secured upon any desired part of the rear of the vehicle. ThlS casing30 is here shown as being of frustopyramidal shape though of coursethere 13 no limitation in this respect. At the center of the back wallof this casing I provide a small reflector 32 at the center of which islocated a socket 33 holding an incandescent bulb 34. Also located withinthis casing and spaced from the reflector 32 is a relatively largereflector 35 formed. with a central opening 36 surrounded by anoutstanding flange 37. This reflector 35 is of dished shape or may beconstrued as bein somewhatfrusto-pyramidal so as to coni orm to acertain extent with the shape of the casing 30 though there may bevariations within uite wide limits. It should also be stated t at thereflector 35 is of less width and length than the inside of the casingso as to define a continuous space 38 between the.

edge of'the reflector 35 and the casin At spaced points the reflector 35is forme with pairs 0 spaced uide strips 39 for a purpose to be descri dThe front of the reflector 35 is closed by a cover 40 which includes aplate 41 having a flange 42 telescoping the casing 30 and securedthereto by screws 43 or the like. The rear side of the plate 41 carriesa rin or flange 44 which telescopes the flange and which thus holds thereflector 35 properly centered within the casing. Radiating from theflange 44 are angularly shaped partitions 45 which are received betweenthe pairs of strips 39 on the reflector 35 and which operate to dividethe interior of the reflector into four compartments 46, 47, 48 and 49.

This front plate 41 is formed with a central opening 50 which re isterswith the space within the telescopecl flanges 44 and 37, and thisopening is covered with a piece of red glass indicated at 51, behindwhich is the bulb 34 which constitutes the tail light' Near its marginaledges the cover is formed with holes 52 which are opposite the space 38and through which white light sh ines when the tail light bulb isenergized. The cover plate 41 is formed with a green glass coveredopening 53 over the compartment 46 and a similar green glass coveredopening 54 over the compartment 47, while it is provided with red glasscovered openings 55 and 56 over the compartments 48 and 49 respectively.These openings are all so formed as to indicate arrow heads though theymight be of any other preferred shape, and it is preferable that the redand green glass panes bear legends such as the letters L and R on thepanes 53 and 54, the legend Back on the pane 55, and the legend Stop onthe pane 56.

Mounted at some convenient location beneath the floorboards K of thevehicle is a switch device including a casing 57 within which is mountedan insulated contac 8 adapted to be engaged by a movable arm 59 which isspring pressed in one direction and which has a flexible connection 60with either the clutch or brake pedal as preferred. The

arm 59 engages a contact 61 for moving this a posed in'circuit with thestorage battery G and a bulb 62 held within a socket 63 in thecompartment 49 of the lamp box 30.

In the compartments 46 and 47 are sockets 64 and 65 carrying bulbs 66and 67 respectively, While located in the compartment 48 is a socket 68carrying a bulb 70. It should also be mentioned that I provide aconventional buzzer 71 located backof the reflector 35, which buzzer isas sociated with the bulb 70 and connected in parallel therewith.

Mounted upon the steering column or post C is the control switchmechanism for the in the casing 30 entire device which mechanismincludes a casing 72 equipped with any suitable bracket or brackets 73for mounting it in position. Mounted on the cover plate 74 of thiscasing 72 is a control switch 75 including two sets of contacts 76 and77 which are connected with the headlamps B and also with the bulb 34which constitutes the tail light. Interposed between the contacts 77 andthe headlamps is a resistance element 78 for the purpose of dimming theheadlights. This switch further includes a movable control arm 79 whichis located exteriorly of the casing and which carries contacts 80adapted to be brought into engagement with the contacts 76 or 77. Oneterminal of the storage battery is brought to one contact 80 while theother contact 80 is connected with a stationary contact 81 of a masterswitch which includes a key operated barrel 82 carrying a contact 83. Itwill be seen that it is first necessary to insert a proper key into thebarrel 82 for effecting turning thereof to close the circuit through themaster switch and thus render the main switch operative, the twoswitches being in series as shown. I

Also located within the casing 72 is a push and pull switch 84 which is.interposed in circuit with the source of current andwith the parkinglight I for controlling energization thereof, and this switch 84 has noconnection whatever with the master switch or headlight switch.

Carried by the casing 72 are other push and pull switches 85 and 86which are connected in series each with the master switch and which areconnected in circuit with the bulbs 66 and 67 respectively. It is alsoto be noted that these bulbs 66 and 67 are connected in parallel withthe bulbs 21 and. 22 of the front signal members so that they will besimultaneously energized.

Mounted at the lower portion of the casing 72 is a suitable switch 87which is likewise in series with the master switch and which isconnected with the bulb and buzzer 70 and 71 respectively.

The operation is as follows:

By operating the switch 84 the li hting of the parking lam I iscontrolle irrespective of all the ot er switch devices. In order to turnon the lighting system of the car it is first necessary to insert theproper left, he operates the switch 85 whereupon current flowsthroughthe master switch and switch 85 through the bulbs 66 and 15 sothat the green arrow pointing to the left at the rear and also at thefront of the vehicle will be illuminated, and if he wishes to turn tothe right, he operates the switch 86 wherethe right.

upon the bulbs 67 and 22 are energized for illuminating the green arrowspointing to In case the operator is parked or has stopped for any reasonand intends to back, it is intended that he operate the switch 87whereupon current will be supplied to the bulb 7t) and buzzer 71 so thatthe legend Back will be illuminated while at the same time the buzzerwill be energized to give an audible alarm so that the attention of thedriver ofthe immediately following car will be attracted. The switches84, 85, 86 and 87 are of the push and pull' type and are so constructedthat when actuated they will remain in such position until positivelyreleased so that after giving a signal the operator has his hands freefor manipulating the steering wheel or for accomplishing anything elsenecessary.

lithe operator applies the brake or pedal to stop, the arm 5%? moves thecontact 61 into engagement w1th the contact 58 and closes the circuitthrough the bulb 62 so that the stop signal is illuminated.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simply con-; structed andcomparatively inexpensive si'gnahncg device which will be a great safeguar to the motorists and to the general public while at the same timeit will greatly assist in avoiding trafiic congestion. Ample provisionhas been made for taking care of all the incidents of traffic or traveland it is believed that the device should have a long life andsatisfactorily perform all of its functions.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not de art from the spirit of the invention or t e sco e of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus escribed my invention I claim:

1. In a signal device, a lamp box formed as a casing, a reflector in theback thereof, a socket carrying an incandescent bulb located at thecenter of said reflector, a second reflectorspaced from the back wall ofthe casin and having a central opening surrounded y anoutstandingflange, a cover having a central opening surrounded by an inwardlyextending flange telescoping said first named flange, spaced pairs ofguides on said second named reflector and radially arranged partitionscarried by said second named flan e and engaged within said guides to dono a plurality of compartments, and sockets carrying incandescent bulbswithin the respective compartments, said cover being formed withopenings covered with transparent material carrying legends disposedover the respective compartments.

2. In asignal device,a lamp box structure including an .outer casing ofpolylateral formation, a reflector extending transversely of the casingin relation to the back wall thereof, a bulb carrying socket located atthe center of said reflector, a second reflector secured within thecasing in spaced relation to the walls thereof and having a shapeconforming to the configuration thereof, said second namedreflector'having a central opening surrounded by a flange, said openingbeing in line with the central portion of the firstnamed reflector,a-pluralit of pairs of spaced guide strips located on tile second namedreflector at opposite sides of certain faces thereof, 'bulb carryingsockets extending through the second named reflector between successivepairs of guide strips, and a cover telescopically engaged upon the frontof the casing, said cover being formed centrally with a flangetelescoping upon said first flange and being provided further with aplurality of radial partitions leading between the airs of guide stripswhereby to divide t e space between the cover and the second namedreflector into a series of separate compartments, the cover havingseparate translucent or transparent portions covering the respectivecompartments.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CONNIE F. BALLARD.

